Method for production of composite and modified double base reinforced carpet roll grain

ABSTRACT

A method of producing a reinforced carpet roll grain propellant by the steps including placing a reinforcement material such as fiberglass between sheets of plastic, inserting these three layers into spaced apart rollers, placing the desired propellant composition onto the reinforced material, and then feeding the layers of plastic and reinforced material with the propellant thereon through said rollers to produce a carpet roll that has a predetermined thickness of propellant on opposite sides of the reinforced material. By this method, a propellant is made that is reinforced and flexible so that it can be rolled into a carpet roll.

Filed:

GRAIN Inventors: Seiford F. Schultz, Huntsville; An-

drew B. Nix, both of Guntersville, Ala.

The United States of America as represented by, the Secretary of the Army Jan. 4, 1971 Appl. No: 103,550.

Assignee:

,- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 1959 Ball ..264/3 A Sttes Patet 1 91 [111 3,715,414

Schultz et al. 1 Feb. 6, 1973 54] METHOD FQRgPRDDUCTION 0F 3,067,686 12/1962 Coover ..264/3 A COMPOSITE AND MODIFIED DOUBLE 3,213,793 10/1965 Dratf 149/15 x BASE REINFORCED CARPET ROLL 3,551,223 12/1970 Deal 6: al. ..149/15 x Primary Examiner-Stephen J. Lechert, Jr. Attorney-I-larry M. Saragovitz, Edward J. Kelly, Herbert Berl and James T. Deaton [57] ABSTRACT A method of producing a reinforced carpet roll grain propellant by the steps including placing a reinforcement material such as fiberglass between sheets of plastic, inserting these three layers into spaced apart rollers, placing the desired propellant composition onto the reinforced material, and then feeding the layers of plastic and reinforced material with the propellant thereon through said rollers to produce a carpet roll that has a predetermined thickness of propellant on opposite sides of the reinforced material. By this method, a propellant is made that is reinforced and flexible so that it can be rolled into a carpet roll.

5 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure PATEF-ITEDFEB 61973 Seiford F. Schultz Andrew B. Nix

INVENTORS g1 METHOD FOR PRODUCTION OF COMPOSITE AND MODIFIED DOUBLE BASE REINFORCED CARPET ROLL GRAIN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the propellant industry, there is a need for a method by which composite and modified double base propellant compositions can be reinforced as a scroll grain and then rolled into a carpet roll to form a finished propellant grain. These type propellant grains are needed for applications requiring high acceleration capabilities. Therefore, the steps and the apparatus used in carrying out the method must be capable of reproducing scroll grains with an ultra-thin uniform web which have high acceleration load capability.

In accordance with the need, it is an object of this invention to provide a method by which reinforced scroll grains can be produced that have an ultra-thin web thickness.

Another object of this invention is to provide a reinforced scroll grain that has a high acceleration load capability.

A further object of this invention is to provide a method by which uniformly thin web grains can be produced andcut to the sizes desired.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a method by which carpet roll grains can be reproduced relatively cheap.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with this invention, a method is provided by which an ultra-thin scroll grain can be produced by sandwiching a perforated reinforcing media between elongated sheets of thin plastic, by placing the desired propellant composition on the reinforcing media and by passing the plastic, the propellant composition, and the reinforcing media through rollers to produce and ultra-thin flexible reinforced, scroll grain that has the propellant composition on each side of the reinforcing media.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The single FIGURE of the drawing is a schematic representation of the apparatus used in carrying out the method of this invention with the scroll grain being exaggerated in size.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The apparatus used in carrying out this invention is illustrated in the single FIGURE of the drawing and includes base I which has variable speed air motor 3 1 mounted thereon and interconnected to gear reduction unit 5. Gear reduction unit 5 is interconnected to roller mechanism 7 and roller mechanism 7 includes rollers 9 and 11 that are mounted in uprights l3 and 15 for rotation of the rollers relative to each other. Roller 9 is rotated by gear reduction unit 5 and transmits the motion thereof to roller 11 through gears 17 and 19 that are secured to rollers 9 and 11 respectively. Rollers 9 and 11 may be adjusted relative to each other by any conventional mechanism desired so that the desired thickness of the carpet roll grain can be obtained. For example, this adjustable mechanism may include shems for positioning rollers 9 and 11 relative to each other or may be a unitary adjustable means by which one of the rollers is adjusted toward or away from the other roller.

The method of this invention is carried out by placing two sheets of teflon 21 and 23 between rollers 9 and 11 with figerglass reinforcing media 25 between the teflon sheets, placing a paste type propellant composition 27 on the reinforcing media and feeding the teflon sheets, the reinforcing media and the propellant composition through the rollers to form an ultra-thin uniform thickness scroll grain. The scroll grain produced according to this method can be cut into the desired length and width and rolled into the appropriate size propellant grain as desired. The plastic sheets are removed from the scroll grain before being rolled into the carpet roll type propellant. The scroll grains produced according to this method are very flexible and readily rollable into a carpet roll type propellant. After the carpet roll has been formed, the propellant composition is then cured. The reinforcing material is preferably made of fiberglass but may be made from other conventional reinforcing materials. A reinforcing material of 14 X 18 mesh with a 0.013 strand diameter has been successfully tested in carpet roll propellants. However, reinforced material having a mesh larger or smaller than that set forth may be used in carrying out this invention.

The particular propellant composition used in forming the scroll grain according to this invention is not critical and may be selected from any of the conventional composite or modified double base type compositions that have the capability of producing the performance desired. That is, any propellant composition that has the appropriate paste type characteristics and can be rolled into a thin sheet type propellant may be used in carrying out and producing the scroll grain according to this invention. Scroll grains having a uniform thickness as thin as 0.029 i 0.001 inches have been produced using the method set forth herein. These scroll grains can be produced by this method using composite propellant compositions containing an inorganic oxidizer such as ammonium perchlorate, a binder of the rubberized type, a fuel such as powdered aluminum and other additives such as stabilizers and burning rate catalysts, or by using modified double base propellants containing nitrocellulose, nitroglycerine and the modifiers necessary to produce the desired characteristics of the propellant.

We claim:

1. A method of producing a scroll grain comprising: placing a perforated sheet type reinforcing media between two sheets of plastic, placing solid propellant composition on said reinforcing media, and running said reinforcing media, said plastic sheets and said propellant composition through predeterminately spaced rollers to produce a ultra-thin uniform web scroll grain with propellant on each side of the reinforcing media.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein, said propellant composition is a composite propellant composition, and wherein said rollers are driven at a predetermined speed.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein, said reinforcing media is made of woven fiberglass.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein, said propellant composition is of the modified double base type and wherein said reinforcing media is fiberglass.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein, said fiberglass has a mesh size of 14 X 18 and a strand diameter of 0.0l3

inches. 

1. A method of producing a scroll grain comprising: placing a perforated sheet type reinforcing media between two sheets of plastic, placing solid propellant composition on said reinforcing media, and running said reinforcing media, said plastic sheets and said propellant composition through predeterminately spaced rollers to produce a ultra-thin uniform web scroll grain with propellant on each side of the reinforcing media.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein, said propellant composition is a composite propellant composition, and wherein said rollers are driven at a predetermined speed.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein, said reinforcing media is made of woven fiberglass.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein, said propellant composition is of the modified double base type and wherein said reinforcing media is fiberglass. 